Just a quick thought here..... wondering what the budget for the party is like? Were you looking for a party with entertainment, or just looking for a location? I have rented my Town Hall for the last two years for my DS's birthday parties with his friends (he just turned 6). It is not fancy, but is a large open hall with folding chairs and tables available to use. For $40 I can have the hall for as many hours of the day as I need. Since his birthday falls in January and we can't have an outdoor party, it is a great place for the kids to run around and get some energy out without destroying my house!!
Put your thinking cap on and try to think of what kind of a place would have a large, open area available to rent and take it from there! Churches, synagoges, American Legion, KoC usually have this kind of space.
I would go with a theme party to make it lots of fun. Maybe something tropical if it is still winter. Oriental Trading has LOADS of fun, themed, party stuff fairly cheap. If you were able to save $$ on the location and supplies, you could maybe splurge on some entertainment, such as a DJ, or maybe splurge on the catering.
Or maybe you could make this a formal affair. Black tie might be fun, especially if the almost-13-year-old is a girl (boys don't usally care about dressing up!).
I too, am turning 40 this year, and if we hadn't just returned from WDW, guess where I would want my party to be??!!.....P
